BIGBANG to &TEAM, What the Comeback Rush of Boy Groups From the Big Four Agencies Shows [HT Focus]

[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] This month, major boy groups standing in different positions are returning one after another.

The first to open the door is Stray Kids. Stray Kids releases its 10th mini album 'THIS & THAT' today (7th), raising the curtain on this comeback rush. ENHYPEN will then release its 8th mini album 'THE SIN : BLISS' on August 21, and on the same day, BIGBANG will open the door to its 20th anniversary world tour. On August 24, NCT 127 will follow with its 7th full-length album 'BLINGY,' and on September 8, &TEAM will continue the lineup with its 2nd Korean mini album 'Mark on Me.' In other words, the big four agencies, HYBE, JYP, SM, and YG, are all bringing out boy group cards within about a month.

What makes this rush interesting is that each team stands at a different point in time. The two teams that have built the longest histories are standing on symbolic milestones. BIGBANG marks its 20th debut anniversary this year. Starting with 'BIGBANG 2026-2027 WORLD TOUR ' IN GOYANG,' which will be held for three days from August 21 at Goyang Sports Complex, the group will embark on its first full-group world tour in about nine years. The tour will span 33 shows in 19 cities, visiting major stadiums and domes around the world. The group is also known to be preparing a new song as a full group. NCT 127, marking its 10th debut anniversary this year, will release its 7th full-length album 'BLINGY.' In September, the group will kick off its 5th tour, 'NEO CITY - THE REDLINE,' at KSPO DOME. All three Seoul shows have already sold out. The weight of 20 years and 10 years is taking the stage in each group’s own way.

There are also teams standing at a point of reorganization and leap forward. ENHYPEN will present 'THE SIN : BLISS' as its first album since reorganizing as a six-member group following member HEESEUNG’s departure from the team in March. As the second work in 'THE SIN' series, based on ENHYPEN’s signature vampire concept, it marks the first chapter the group will face with its new formation. &TEAM, HYBE’s first global group that debuted in 2022, achieved million-seller status with its 1st Korean mini album 'Back to Life' last October and won three trophies on music shows. Continuing that momentum, the group now aims for the next step with its 2nd Korean album 'Mark on Me.'

Stray Kids, the first runner in this rush, is in a phase where its global expansion is accelerating. As part of its new world tour, 'Stray Kids World Tour <RUN IT>,' the group is set to hold a solo concert at Japan National Stadium in Tokyo starting on the 29th, becoming the first overseas male artist to do so. In September, Stray Kids will also headline Brazil’s 'Rock in Rio' and 'STRAYCITY,' a new festival led by Stray Kids that will be held in Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico. With larger venue scales and even a festival bearing its own name, this is a point where album results are needed to firmly support the group’s rapidly expanding scope of activities.

Although they are clustered in the same month, all five teams stand at different points. The fact that boy groups in such varied phases are moving at the same time in one period means that the K-POP boy group scene is not concentrated in one specific generation, but has been built up thickly across multiple layers. What this summer comeback rush shows goes beyond the return of individual teams. It shows the thickness of those layers.

grace@hanteo.com


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